National Poison Prevention Week is the Perfect Time to Make Sure Your Home is Safe with These Poison Prevention Tips

Published on March 24, 2016

Every year during the third week in March we recognize National Poison Prevention Week, a week set aside to raise awareness to the estimated two million poisonings that are documented annually. National Poison Prevention Week 2016 is March 20th-26th, perfect timing for spring cleaning. With the first day of spring also being day one of National Poison Prevention Week, this is the best time to learn how to make your and your family’s home and air quality safe as you clean.

Cleaning Products

Store them in a locked cabinet, place them up high, do whatever it takes to ensure little fingers and paws can’t reach your cleaning supplies. Installing child-safety locks is a great way to keep children and pets out of cabinets and drawers, but remember child-safe does not equal child-proof. Storing cleaning products on an unreachable shelf or in a high cabinet is the safest way to help keep your young ones from accessing unsafe chemicals. Always leave the cleaning solutions in the original container with the original label to avoid any mistakes and to make sure you have everything you need in case anything ever does happen. Also, don’t forget to turn on fans and open windows while you clean to keep the chemicals from getting stuck in your breathing air.

REMINDER: A label that says “natural” does not make the product non-toxic – treat ALL cleaning solutions with the utmost care.

Medicines

Two crucial things mentioned about cleaning supplies are also very important for medicines.

Being natural doesn’t make it non-toxic

Hyland’s Teething Tablets are homeopathic tablets used to help soothe pain caused by teething. Some parents swear by these magic little guys to bring relief to their child, but in 2011 a new formula was released after the FDA uncovered inconsistent amounts of belladonna in the tablets. This plant is toxic and eating small amounts of the belladonna leaves or berries may be fatal. That being said, belladonna is used for multiple medical purposes – it is included in the drops used to dilate your eyes, and is used (combined with other medicinal substances) to help with stomach ulcers, Parkinson’s disease, and the flu. The thing you need to keep in mind is just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it is non-toxic, and almost anything – found in nature or not – in excessive doses could be hazardous.

Child resistant does not mean childproof

Imagine, you’re cooking breakfast and you hear, “Mommy, this candy is yucky.” You whip your head around to find your three-year old holding your pain medicine bottle in one hand and a small white pill in the other. Fifteen minutes later you’re sitting in the ER wondering how a mama who made all of their baby food from organic fruits and veggies and baby-proofed the entire house while 37 weeks pregnant managed to end up with a prescription bottle, not only within reach of her toddler, but where they could actually get it opened. Just because the top is child-resistant, it doesn’t make it child-proof so keep those medications locked away on a shelf.

Outdoor Chemicals

Even if you keep your bug sprays , fertilizers, and rat poisons outside, doesn’t mean you can leave them unlocked. Store them on a top shelf or secure them in a tool chest. If you are spraying chemicals around your home, spray right before you leave to be away for a good amount of time to avoid someone inhaling or getting into the chemicals.

CO Detectors and Appliances

Carbon monoxide poisoning happens more than we care to imagine and, unfortunately, since there’s no odor and the symptoms are flu-like, it can be too late when we realize what’s happening. Installing a battery-operated CO detector will help alert you and your family of any dangers, and having your heating system, water heater, and any other oil, wood, coal, or gas burning appliances properly checked and maintained by a qualified technician will help detect the danger early or avoid it altogether.

Batteries and Magnets

Every toy at the store now seems to make plenty of noise that is made possible by batteries. It’s easy to throw them in a drawer since it feels like you’re always having to track down another AA – but don’t. Batteries are made up of chemicals, and the smaller ones, like AAA or coin batteries, are easy to swallow. During digestion, the covering on batteries can disintegrate and leak toxic acid into the ingester’s body.

How to Get Help

If a child should ever ingest any chemicals, medication, or anything you feel is dangerous, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Some people are afraid that contacting Poison Control to inform them of their child ingesting something toxic could get them in trouble with child protective services, but that isn’t accurate. The Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects all calls to Poison Control and means they are unable to share your personal information with CPS or police. The safety of you and your family is too important, so please call even if you are not sure.

If you are ever in need of help to make sure your heating appliances are safe, please call Rob's Albertan Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning at 780-800-9047 to schedule an appointment. Have a safe and healthy Poison Prevention Week.

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